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End Of School Year Books!

I think everyone has a go-to list of Back to School books (my favorite is Polka-Dot Fixes Kindergarten!) but very seldom do you hear about books to read at the end of the year. This could be because we are all simply too exhausted to even think about it, but reading aloud some great EOY picture books is a good way to wrap up the learning, set the tone for the summer and encourage kids to discuss how they're feeling about being out of school or going to the next grade level.

Often times, as we take things off the walls, pack up items and prepare for the summer a bit at a time, we forget to address how this is going to make our students FEEL. Especially for those children for whom school is a safe refuge, where they know they will be fed regularly, encouraged and valued, the EOY can be stressful! For those that truly enjoy school, it can be wrenching to have it all come to an end. And for those that just can't wait for summer to start, it can be hard to contain that excitement and still follow procedures through to the end!

Here are some of my absolute favorite EOY read alouds that address all of those issues - you can click on the pictures to see the books on Amazon! If you buy through one of my links I will get a small amount from Amazon (like 10 cents lol) to help buy things for my classroom. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps - as you all know!

If you've read aloud any of the other Miss Bindergarten books, this one is a must (and even if you haven't!) This books summarizes the whole year and covers EOY procedures like washing tables and emptying cubbies!

The Last Day of Kindergarten
This book also deals with EOY clean up, but it also addresses the fact that the last day means leaving behind everything that is familiar and dear. It does have a graduation ceremony in it, so if your school doesn't do graduations that might be something to discuss - how every school does things differently!

Lizzie and the Last Day of School
This one is for those kiddos that love school and don't want it to end! In this story, the student and teacher end up at the same summer school, so the fun learning experiences continue!

Last Day, Hooray!
This is a sweet story that also deals with EOY clean up which students and staff engage in as they think about the coming summer vacation.

When It's the Last Day Of School
This book captures that last day of school excitement! But, it reminds students that they still have to follow the rules...until that last bell rings!

The Night Before Summer Vacation
More than likely your students are already familiar with "The Night Before..." series, so this book will have a familiar format for them. Great rhyming text and although it doesn't mention school, it does deal with vacation time. If you're at a Title I school and most of your kiddos won't be going anywhere over the summer, you might want to be sensitive to that and skip this one.

The Berenstain Bears' Graduation Day
This Berenstain Bears book has ALL grade levels graduating - something that wouldn't happen anywhere but Bear Country! Still, its a cute read, especially if your school does have a K graduation ceremony!

Last Day Blues (Mrs. Hartwells classroom adventures)
This one is a bit ironic - as the kids are worried about their teachers missing them during the summer, the teachers are thinking about vacation plans! It is great way to bring up the point that you will miss all of your students and encourage them to come back to visit you next year - but that you will ALL be fine over the summer!

I hope you can grab a new story or two to help your class process the EOY!